8 Members Of Abia PDP Killed In Auto Crash

Eight members of the Abia State chapter of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) were on Tuesday night killed in a motor accident, which occurred at Enugu, with 10 sustaining varying degrees of injury.

The party’s bus, a Toyota Hummer was in a convoy of vehicles conveying party officials and members from Awka, the Anambra State capital to Enugu, after it assisted to conduct the ward congress of the Anambra State chapter of PDP, when the bus crashed, party sources said.


The convoy of the zonal leadership of the PDP were said to have left Awka that night en route Enugu to finish the computation of the Anambra State ward congress results, following disturbances which trailed the election.

Four of the dead PDP members were said to be members of staff of the state party secretariat, including an aide of the state chairman, while the others were identified as party officials from Ohafia, Isuikwuato and Ikwuano.

The driver of the bus, 63-year-old Sunday Iroegbu, who was among the survivors, told journalists that he was driving in a convoy, which was “driving very fast”, while it was drizzling.

He said the convoy was moving too fast for him and he was only using the rear lights of the vehicles to catch up with them.

“At a point, I could not see the rear lights again and I thought they had descended a hill,” he said.
The driver said the accident happened while he was trying to catch up with the other vehicles as he was not familiar with the route. He lost control and the bus plunged into a ditch.

After the incident, the injured were said to have been taken to the University of Nigeria Teaching Hospital (UNTH), for medical attention. Seven of the injured ten, including a police officer were later conveyed to the Federal Medical Centre (FMC), Umuahia; with one taken to the Specialist Hospital, Umuahia, while two were left at UNTH.

Speaking to journalists on the state of health of the victims, Medical Director of FMC Umuahia, Dr. Abali Chuku said four of the injured were in “critical condition” but added that “we’re quite confident we can manage them.”

Governor of Abia State, Chief Theodore Orji, while breaking the sad news to traditional rulers of Osisioma Ngwa, Isiala Ngwa North and Isiala Ngwa South, who paid him a courtesy visit at Government House, described the incident as “a very sad day for Abia PDP and asked the royal fathers to pray for the repose of the dead and quick recovery of the injured.”